Releasable packer



March 7, 1933.

J. C. DICKENS RELEASABLE PACKER Filed Nov. 28, 1930 Jaa. C. Dsc Ive ne 3mm/wo@ abiding@ Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES C. DICKENS, OF GOOSE CREEK, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO W. C. l

THOMAS, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS BELEASABLE PACKEB.A

Application led November 28, 1930. Serial No. 498,537.

My invention relates to packers for use particularly in deep wells for. packing olf the space between the walls ofthe well and the upper end of the liner or screen which is set in the well.

It is an object of the invention to provide a packer which may be easily expanded into operative position in the well and which may be thereafter released and withdrawn from the well. Y

The invention also includes the connection between the packer and the upper part of the liner or screen which will enable the operator, in case the liner or screen is stuck in the well,

to withdraw the packer from connection with the liner.

The invention also includes the provision of means to hold the packer in expanded position until withdrawal of the packerL is desired and also means to maintain the packer in contracted position when it is desired to withdraw the same from the well. A

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section showing the upper end of my improved packer.

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the lower end of the device with the packer in extended position before it is expanded. It is to be understood that Figs. 1 and 2 together show the complete device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1. c

Figs. 4 and .5 are similar transverse sections on the planes 44--4 and 5--5 of Fig. 2. A i In the construction of my packer I have shown the same as mounted upon a pipe 1 which is intended to represent a special section at the upper end of the liner or screen, which may be connected thereto at 2 with a special lefthand thread. The mandrel or shank 1 has its upper end 3 provided with a coupling 4 threaded at its upper end with a lefthand thread y5 to engage with the lower end section 6 of the setting tool. v

The setting tool includes a nipple 7, connected with the coupling member 6 and secured thereto by the threaded interior connection 8 on said coupling. The upper 'end of the nipple 7 is connected with an upper 0 coupling 9 threaded internally at its upper end 20 of the jay pipe.

rend for connection by means of a collar 10 with the setting pipe or drill stem. 11,-which may extend to the surface.

The nipple 7 has threaded into its upper end awash plug 12 having a passage 13 55 therethrough to receive the lower end of the wash pipe when thescreen or liner is being washed. Intermediate the ends of the nipple 7 and between the adjacent ends of the cou.- plings 6 and 9 is an annular recess 14 adapted 60 to receive a plurality of expanding,I dogs or latches '15, held resiliently outward against the inner side of the packer structure by means of springs 16. The dogs 15 have their upper 'and lower sides recessed somewhat to 65 fit beneath flanges or shoulders 17 upon the adjacent coupling members, thus limiting the outward movement of said dogs relative to the nlpple 7. I may employ a packing gasket 19 between the setting pipe 11 and the upper '7o Above the connection 2 upon the upper liner section I place my packing member 21. Said packing member may be of ordinary construction.` I have shown a canvas packer with superimposed layers of canvas forming a sleeve longitudinally upon the liner. Said canvas is supported at its lower end upon a. ring 22 secured rigidly to the liner 2 and is held in position by windings of wire 23 in so the usual manner.l The u per end of the canvas packer is connectedl by similar wires 23 to a slidable sleeve or collar 24.` The upper end of the sleeve 24 is provided with a comparatively coarse acme thread 25, by which it may be connected to the compression sleeve 26.l The interior of the collar 24 is recessed at 27 to receive a key 28. Said key' may be advanced into position' to engage within a key-way 29 in the liner l by means of set 90 screws 30, one at each side of said key. .This connection prevents the relative rotation of the collar 24 relative to the mandrel. The compression sleeve 26 is connected at its upper end to the jay pipe 20 and acts to provide 95 means whereby the packer may be operated. l The inner face of the compression sleeve, at its lower end, is provided with a plurality of downwardly flarln -recesses 31 to receive the tapered upper en s of slips 32 toothed on 100 v is set. This is accomplished by rotating the their inner faces to engage the mandrel. Said slips are held upwardly into contact with the tapered sides 31 by means of springs 33 on their lower sides, said springs bearing against the`lower sides of the recesses in which the dogs are mounted. The dogs are held in position in said recesses by ring 34 fitting under the lowerend of the band or ring 35 secured to the collar 24. The teeth of the slips 32 are downwardly inclined and tend to e11- gage the mandrel to prevent sliding upward nliovement of the mandrel relative to said s 1 s. s

ilbove the upper endof the collar 24 the compression sleeve has a downwardly tapered recess 35 to receive a plurality of slips, 36. These slips are adapted to ft the seat 35 and engage the mandrel by means of the teeth 37 and prevent relative downward movement of the mandrel upon the compression sleeve 26. As will be seen from Fig. 4, there are three of these slips, the three together encircling the pipe. At the upper end of the compression sleeve 26 the said compression sleeve is connected to the upper end of the mandrel by means of pins 38 of frangble material adapted to be sheared 0H or broken by shock or strain exerted thereon in the setting of the tool.

In the operation of the device the parts are assembled as shown in the drawing and the packer connected at its lower end 2 to the liner or strainer which is inserted to its proper position in the well with the lower end of the liner engaging with the bottom of the. well. The well is then washed and the packer setting tool or drill stem 11 to the right so as to unscrew the lefthand connection at 5 and allow the setting tool to be drawn upwardly. When the expanding dogs 15 are raised to a point above the upper end of the jay pipe 20 said dogs will project beyond the said upper end of the jay pipe and a downward thrust upon the setting tool against said jay pipe will force the same, together withthe compression sleeve and collar 24, downwardly so as to break the shear pins 38 and by contracting the packer longitudinally expand the same radially into operative position. When this is done the setting tool may be withdrawn. When the packer is thus expanded the dogs 36 will tend to hold the collar 24 downwardly and prevent the collapsing of the packer during use.

If it is found that the well is not a good producer or if for other reason the packer is to be withdrawn, a setting tool may be introduced into the well having laterally projecting ins thereon'to engage within a jay slot 40 at tlie upper end of the jay pipe 26. When vthey are thus in position in the slot the setting tool may be rotated to screw the sleeve 26 downwardly upon the threaded connection 25. This will release the dogs 36 to allow the packer to collapse. rllhe keyed connection 28 between the collar 24 and the mandrel will tend to prevent the sleeve 24 from rotating during this operation. When the lower end of the compression sleeve engages the lower end of the threaded portion on the collar 24 the dogs 32 will be forced into contracted position against the mandrel. The jay tool may then be drawn upwardly to contract the packer and when the packer has been entirely contracted the slips 32 will act to hold the packer -in extended position so that the same may be withdrawn from the well.

l it is found that the liner is stuck in the well and can not be withdrawn along with the mandrel and packer the device may be rotated so as to unscrew the tightly threaded connection at 2 between the lower end of the upper section. l and the lower part of the liner or screen. lt is to be understood that the lefthand thread 2 is a tightly threaded connection and will only be unscrewed by the usual righthand rotation when the joints above are completely tight. This' will enable the joint at 25 to be screwed up without releasing the packer in the ordinary operation of the tool.

'llhe advantages of this construction lie in the fact that the tool may be easily expanded when desired and when the packer is once expanded it will remain in that position during the usual operation of the device. lf, however, it is desired to withdraw the packer this may be done with or without the screen or liner at the lower end of the well.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A well packer including a mandrel, a packing member thereon, a sleeve slidable on said mandrel, a collar connecting said packer and said sleeve, a setting tool, means normally connecting said tool and said packer rigidly together adapted to be rendered ineective by a predetermined strain thereon whereby said sleeve may be moved to expand said packer, slips to prevent release of said packer from expanded position, means to screw said sleeve downwardly to release said packer and means .Eo prevent said packer from subsequent setmg. v

2. A. well packer including a mandrel, a packing member thereon, a. sleeve slidable on said mandrel, a collar connecting said packer and said sleeve, a setting tool, means normally connecting said tool and said packer-rigidly together adapted to be rendered ineffective by a predetermined strain thereon whereby said sleeve may be moved to expand said acker, slips to prevent release ofL-said packer rom expanded position and means to screw said sleeve downwardly on said collar to release said slips and contract said packer. l

3. lln a wellpacker, a mandrel, a setting tool detachably engaging said mandrel, a packer on said mandrel, a collar on' said packer, a sleeve on said collar, an upper jay extension on said sleeve, means securing said sleevey to said collar adapted to be rendered ineffective by downward strain on `said tool, a nipple in said tool, a pipe support therein and laterally slidable dogs on said nipple expansible to engage above said extension by the withdrawal of said setting tool therefrom.

4. In a well packer, a mandrel, a setting tooll detachably engaging said mandrel, a packer on said mandrel, a collar on said packer, a sleeve on said collar, an upper jay extension on said sleeve, means securing said sleeve to said'collar adapted to be rendered ineffective by downward strain on said tool, a nipple in said tool, a wash plug therein and laterally slidable dogs on said nipple expansible to engage above said extension by the withdrawal of said setting tool therefrom whereby said sleeve may be depressed to expand said packer, and slips on said sleeve to hold said packer in expanded position.

5. In a well packer, a mandrel, a packer thereon, a collar vengaging said packer, a sleeve on said collar slidable with said collar on said mandrel to expand said packer, slips on said sleeve adapted to engage said mandrel and prevent upward movement of said sleeve thereon, and means to move said sleeve downwardly on said collar and release said slips.

6. In a well packer, a mandrel, a packer thereon, a collar engaging said packer, a sleeve on said collar slidable with said collar on said mandrel to expand said packer, means on said sleeve adapted to engage said mandrel and prevent upward movement of said sleeve thereon, and means to move said sleeve downwardly on said collar and release said slips and means operated through the downward movement of said sleeve on said collar to prevent further downward movement of said collar on said` mandrel.

7. In a well packer, a mandrel, a packer thereon, a collar engaging said packer, a

sleeve 0n said collar slidable with said collar on said mandrel to expand said packer, a plurality of sets of slips engaged by said sleeve, one operable when said sleeve is moved slidably downwardly to prevent its upward movement on said mandrel, the other operable when said sleeve is screwed downwardly on said collar to prevent further downward sliding movement on said mandrel.

8. In a well packer, a mandrel, a packer thereon, a collar on said packer slidable on said mandrel, a key on said collar, meansv to force said key into a keyway on said mandrel, a sleeve on said collar, means on said sleeve actlng on a downward sliding movement thereof on said mandrel to prevent its upward movement thereafter and separate means operable on downward screwing movement of said sleeve on said collar to prevent further downward sliding of said collar on said sleeve. i

nected to said coupling, and slidable with said coupling on said mandrel to expand said packer, and means slidably mounted in said coupling but adapted to engage said mandrel and hold said packing member in compress1on.

11. In a device of the character described a packing member, a mandrel on which said member is mounted, lcompression means connected to one end of said packing member and slidable upon the outer surface of said mandrel, and slips mounted in said compression means to grip said mandrel and retain said means in an adjusted position.

12. In adeviceof the character described a packing member, a mandrel on which said member is mounted, compression means connected to one end of said packing member and slidable upon the outer surface of said mandrel, and slips mounted in said compression means to gr1p said mandrel and retain said means in an adjusted position, said mandrel having a smooth outer surface whereby said slips may engage the same at any elevation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature this 21st day of November, A. D.

JAMES C. DICKENS. 

